Phosphate spreader



March 10, 19.31. J. KESTEL PHOSPHATE SPREADER Filed April 28, 1928 mentor ro e 7k E'e-s 2921 Patented Mar. 10, 1931 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE JOSEPH KESTEL, OF MANHATTAN, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TO RUIIM PHOSPHATE 8c CHEMICAL COMPANY, A CORPORATION OF TENNESSEE PHOSPHATE SPREADER Application filed April 28,

This invention relates to a device for spreading phosphate.

The object of this invention is to provide a phosphate spreader of a type which may readily be builtby the farmer, and from such materials and parts which are readily obtainable from his local merchant.

A further objectis to provide an arrangement whereby the spreader device may be coupled to the rear end of an ordinary wagon, and whereby no'special alteration or provisions need be made to the wagon to accommodate such coupling means.

'A further object is to provide a simple s and practical means in the form of an agitating device which cooperates with the revolving rear wheel of the wagon, such means serving to effect a constant and uniform flow of the phosphate from the spreader device go to the soil, but only while the wagon moves in the forward direction;if the wagon is at rest or is moved backward then the object is to retain the phosphate in the spreaderdevice.

Other objects will be apparent from the following description, when considered in connection with the accompanying drawing, in which similar numerals refer to similar parts throughout the several views.

Fig. 1, is an end view of the spreader device, and is shown in connection with the rear end of a wagon, the wagon is shown in light broken lines.

Fig. 2, is a side elevation of Fig. 1.

. Fig. 3, is a plan view of Fig. 2.

Fig. 4, is a sectional view of Fig. 2 taken on line 44. a

With reference to the drawing, 8 is atrough comprising two side boards 9, cross braces 10 and end pieces 11. This'trough is held together by bolts 12. Fixed to the trough 8 through bolts 14:, are two brackets 15 which are adapted torest on the floor 16 of the wagon 17. I Hook bolts 18 are provided to 4 serve as hangers for the trough 8, they extend through one ofthe side boards 9 of the trough and are arranged to hook over the end gate 19 of the wagon as shown. These hook bolts 18 are provided with a threaded 9 end, and anut 20, and thereby, their extended 1928. Serial No. 273,443.

length may be increased or decreased to accommodate the end gates of various wagons. Throughv this coupling arrangement the trough 8, including all its connected elements, may readily be lifted from the wagon box and transferred to another wagon, and in the event that the end gate of the other wagon is higher or lower, the extended length of the hook bolts 18 may be readily adjusted by turning the nuts 20 and thereby level the trough.

The bottom of the trough 8 is formed by the agitator beam 21 positioned to provide narrow open spaces as shown at 22 throughout the entire length of the trough. The agitator beam 21 is carried by the agitator hangers 23 which are adjustably connected to the trough througa bolts 24. These bolts extend through slots 25 as formed in the hangers 23 and therefore the hangers may be raised or lowered and locked in various positions, and accordingly the extent of the open spaces 22 may be varied.

The connection between the agitator beam 21 and agitator hangers 23 is formed by the studs 26 of a type commonly known as wagon box bolts which are readily obtainable in ruraldistricts and which are fixed to the agitator beam through bolts 27 and extend through the hangers 23. By this arrangement the agitator is pivotally mounted with respect to the trough, the pivot bearings being formed in the hangers 23 and these bearings are reinforced by the bolt-s 28. The agitator beam 21 is reinforced for stiffness by the brace beam 29 which is fixed thereto through bolts 80. Ordinary nails 81 are shown driven partially into the upper side of the agitator beam which serve as agitator elements for stirring the phosphate when, during operation, the agitator beam is caused to rock rapidly to and fro on the studs 26, as will hereinafter appear, while the phosphate, indicated at 32, is virtually carried thereby. The nails 81 protrude into the bed of phos- 95 phateas shown in Fig. 4c and are vibrated by the rocking action of the agitator beam serving to agitate the phosphate so that it will settle to the bottom of the trough'to lay upon the beam, and the rocking action thereof will cause the phosphate to sift out through the openings 22 to fall upon the soil. The phosphate falling upon the soil is represented as at 33, Fig. 1.

As a means for rocking or agitating the agitator beam 21, there is :provided: a lever 34 secured thereto thro-ug'h'the bolt35', and arranged to extend forward as at 36 andrearwardas at 3 7. To the rear end thereof is secured a spring 57,- throughitheboltBSQaInd arranged to loop through the eye bolt 39 carried by the side board 9 of the trough; This spring normally pulls upward on the rear end of the lever 34 and naturallytendsto tilt the agitator beam 21 in this particular direc tion." a

Abra'cket40'is fixed I the trough,thr0ugh bolts 4l and arranged to extend horizontally" forward to carry the. one end'o-f the tipping lever 42; Aronnecti'on be tween the'lever 42bracke't 40,is formedof a bolt aawmcnn arranged'with a spring 44 between thehead thereof and the under side ofsaid bracket." This form ofconnec tion provides'a flexible oint which serves as a fulcrum for the lever 42;

'Thelever 42 extends'laterally with respect to thedirectio-n of movement "of the wagon, and is made of 'two'pieces 45 and 46 which'are' adjustably connected through? bo1ts'47and slots 48'; thelengtl'i of this lever should beadj'usted' so that-the end'49there'of justengages the spokesfof the" rear wagonwheel 50', but shouldibe'suthcientlyshort-so that said lever end '49 will skip o-verthe spokes-when the wheel revolves: By this arrangement the revolvingi wheel will impart an oscillating movement to the lever 42, substantially ma vertical direction, andimovingaround the pivot'point formed by the bolt43i The lei7er'34 and'tipping lever42are con nected through the bolt 51 and here again" a spring-indibatedby thereference' character 52,'is arranged between the nut of said bolt and theuippenside of the'lever'34, and ac cordingly' form a flexible connection.

The lever42 should be mounted to layon topofthe bracket 40 and hang beneath the lever 84; then as the wagon wheel 50*revol-ves in'the direction indicated by the/arrow 53, as

when carryingthe Wagon" forward, the

spokes" thereof raisefland releasetheleve'rend lever=f42:- The nature of phosphateis' such that 1 it will not naturally" drain-* from? i the trough '8 that is; not through the openings to the side barmai- 22, unless the agitator beam 26 is vigorously vibrated or rocked to and fro, particularly since the openings 22 are narrow, therefore there will be no spreading of phosphate while the wagon is at rest.

The lever" 34 is -VprOVide'dwith a series of holes56 "so that the lever 42 may be connected thereto at various points more or less forward withrespect tothe trough 8, consequently the end 49 of the lever'42 will'accordingly be positioned at various points more or less for wardglthe-b'olt' 51 of course being adapted to engage any of the holes 56. This arrangemeat is pnoVidedYso-that the end 49 of lever 42 may be suitably positioned to properlyengage the spokes of the wagonwheel and accommodate variations which? may exist-"be tween different wagons;

Itis now obvious that asfthewag'on' moves over the landthe rev'o'lving rear wheel imarts a vertically oscillating movement to the tipping lever 42 which in turn transmits a similar action-to lever 34;and consequently the agitator bea'm'Ql' is rapidly rocked to and fro on its st-i'id's 26', and the spreading of any phosphate "which maybe in the trough 8 is eifected.- a

To increase or decrease the spreadof phosphate'per acreit ismerelyneces'sary'to raise or lower the agitator hangers 23, therebyfincreasingor decreasing the space 22 bet-ween theagitator beam and the lower edges of the side boards 9 of-the trough; and accordingly increasing or decreasing the-quantity of phosphate deposited by the' spreading device with respect to the land surfacecovered' by theawagoii. i V

' The practice in operating: this device is to provide a man to shovel the phosphate from the wag-ontothe-.itrough 8" while the. wagon is drawn ov'er the -land then1to avoid: an oven-splash 0f the "phosphate, a' backi board maybe fixed to the trough. as- :shown atr54, in light broken lin'esw I p 7 Toprotect the flowing phosphate from-the action of the Wind, a canvas may be fixed to the trough 8; and arranged to hang down around the stream of flowingphosp'hateito a point close to the ground, r

Having v thus d escrib ed lmy invention, I claim 1. In a phosphate spreader, a troughhaving an open bottom, means for mounting the troi'i'gh' to the rear end of la wagon a-n agita tor 1 beam -r'elatively spaced -w-ithl respect to said trough but substantially iclosingthe bot to n'thereof,i pi votal mountings :fori said agitator beam; and mechanism arranged to directly cooperatewi-th the spokes 0f the wagon wheeland rock said agitator beam in response toniovement of saidwa gon. l

" 2;. In a 7 phosphate spreader, a trough, means for': mounting, ;the trough to the rear end of a wagon, means for siftingthe phos phhte'wfrom said'lltrou gh, Ia lever carried by ion said trough and arranged to directly engage the spokes of the wagon wheel to be oscillated vertically thereby, and means connecting said lever with said sifting means to effect operation thereof through the action of said lever.

3. In a phosphate spreader, a trough having an open bottom, means for mounting the trough to the rear end of a wagon, a beam relatively spaced with respect to said trough but substantially closing the bottom thereof, pivotal mountings for each end of said beam, means for raising and lowering said beam with respect to said trough through adjustment of said mountings to vary the space therebetween, and means operable in connection with the revolving wagon wheel for rocking said beam on said pivotal mountings.

4. In a phosphate spreader, a trough having an open bottom, means for mounting the trough to the rear end of a wagon, a beam relatively spaced with respect to said trough but substantially closing the bottom thereof, pivotal mountings at each end of said beam, a lever fixed to said beam and extending forwardly and rearwardly thereof, a contractile spring connecting the rearwardly extending end of said lever to said trough, and means operable in connection with the spokes of the wagon wheel, while revolving, to intermittently raise and release the forwardly extending end of said lever and accordingly permit said spring to intermittently raise the rearwardly extending end of said lever.

5. In a phosphate spreader, a trough having an open bottom, means for mounting the trough to the rear end of a wagon, a beam relatively spaced with respect to said trough but substantially closing the bottom thereof, pivotal mountings at each end of said beam, a lever fixed to said beam and extending forwardly thereof, a second lever mounted laterally with respect to said forwardly extending lever and connected thereto and operably arranged to engage the spokes of the wagon wheel and oscillate in a direction substantially vertical and thereby oscillate the first said lever for rocking said beam.

6. In a phosphate spreader, a trough, means for mounting the trough to the rear end of a wagon, means for sifting the phosphate from said trough, an operating lever for said sifting means arranged to extend forward relative to said trough, a second lever mounted laterally with respect to said forwardly extending operating lever, and arranged for the free end thereof to engage the spokes of the wagon wheel when revolving, a bracket arranged to form a fulcrum for said second lever, means connecting said second lever to said bracket and arranged to yield to permit a limited upward movement of the lever with respect to the bracket, and means connecting the extended end of the first said lever to said second lever at an appreciable distance from the fulcrum point thereof and arranged to yield to permit a limited downward movement of said second lever with respect to the first said lever.

7. In a phosphate spreader, a trough, means for mounting the trough to the rear end of a wagon, means for sifting the phosphate from said trough, an operating lever for said sifting means arranged to extend forwardly relative to said trough, a bracket fixed to said trough, a second lever fulcrumed to said bracket and extending therefrom laterally with respect to said forwardly extending operating lever and arranged for the free end thereof to engage the spokes of the wagon wheel when revolving, means for connecting the extended end of the first said lever to said second lever at an appreciable distance from the fulcrum point thereof, and means for adjusting the free end of said second lever to positions more or less forward with respect to said trough.

8. In a phosphate spreader, a V shaped trough having an open bottom, an agitator beam relatively spaced with respect to said trough but substantially closing the bottom thereof, pivotal mounting means for each end of said beam, agitator elements carried by said agitator beam and arranged to extend upwardly into said V shaped trough, and

means for rocking said agitator beam to and fro on said pivotal mountings comprising pivoted levers coacting with said agitator beam and with the spokes of a wagon wheel.

Signed at Manhattan, in the county of Will, and State of Illinois, this 13 day of April, A. D. 1928.

JOSEPH KESTEL. 

